Agenda
21 the global program of action for sustainable development was the major
output of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It calls
for countries to formulate their respective National Strategies for Sustainable
Development (NSSDs).In 1997, the UN
General Assembly Special Session gave a timeframe for this.It stated that “by the year 2002, the
formulation and elaboration of NSSDs, which reflect the contributions and
responsibilities of all interested parties should be completed in all
countries, with assistance provided, as appropriate, through international
cooperation”.To date, countries with
NSSDs in Asia Pacific region number less than ten.About 25 countries in the region have National Environment Action
Plans (NEAPs), a limited proxy of NSSDs.

MISP (Multi-stakeholder
Integrated Sustainability Planning)

The sustainability of development
depends as much on the participatory process by which planning is carried out,
as on development plans themselves. As such, the Earth Council[1]
is developing and promoting a sustainable development process called
"Multi-stakeholder Integrated Sustainability Planning (MISP)". The
Earth Council has prepared draft guidelines (see www.ecouncil.ac.cr)
that attempt to describe a planning approach that meets Agenda 21’s requirements
of integration and multi-stakeholder participation.Since countries vary widely, the draft guidelines provide enough
flexibility for innovation and creativity.

By
its very nature, sustainable development is a partnership between all members
of society and their environment. The nature and process of sustainable
development is too complex, inter-connected, holistic and of eminent public
interest to be left to any one main actor in society. Though governments have
the delegated responsibility and are expected to take the lead, what is
important is that the respective stakeholders from the different sectors of
society (cultural, economic, social, ecological, spiritual, and political)
actively participate in reaching basic consensus on the road to follow towards
sustainability.

MISP
is a process that is: multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary, multi-level,
coordinative, dynamic and iterative. The MISP process tries to reconcile the
divergent interests of stakeholders in an interactive and cooperative manner.

MISP
proposes a living and on-going process to pursue the common public interest by
bringing together representatives designated by their respective constituencies
in search of the common public interest and good. This should be carried out in
a manner that empowers each group and level of society and integrates and
builds upon the dynamics of particular interests into an integrated whole.

The MISP Process

The MISP process follows standard planning
procedures.Its basic difference is on
the manner by which it is undertaken.The steps are undertaken keeping in mind specific questions that must be
responded to effectively. Following are the MISP steps:

6.Establish monitoring
and evaluation mechanism:How do
we know we are getting there?

MISP and NCSD

A multi-stakeholder
body has been proven to be the best mechanism to spearhead and monitor a
sustainability planning process and ensure its implementation and up-dating.Such a mechanism, generically called a National
Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), exists in various forms in about 70
countries worldwide.Their positive experiences
and best practices have encouraged other countries to establish theirs.Usually, “NCSDs” are created when a country
decides to formulate an NSSD in the most effective way.

Political Will and Other Requisites

Political will is the single most important and critical
element in preparing and implementing an NSSD.Without this, MISP may not even take off or when it does, little may be
accomplished.Political will must
emanate from two levels: the official leadership and the people.

In addition, the MISP process would require most, if not
all, of the following elements in order to become effective and produce the
desired NSSD:

·Representation
of all major stakeholders in the planning team.

Stakeholders, however, must seek and pursue the common public good and

interest despite their specific interests and constituencies.

·Planners
must be responsible, committed and open-minded team players, i.e., they need to
be willing to listen and consider the views and concerns of others.

·A dynamic
leader, able to deal with and balance the concerns of stakeholders is
critical.

·A
secretariat able to provide effective and efficient support

·A clear
implementation plan for the planning work itself

·The
progress of planning must be closely monitored.

1 Earth Council is an international NGO that promotes sustainability
by helping countries develop their respective sustainability plans, programs,
mechanisms and processes.